Chee Lum

We are the makers of possible: 16 Years and Counting!

Chee Lum has never had a reason to leave BD for another career opportunity. That’s because of the rich and rewarding roles and experiences that the company has supplied him. It also helps that Chee’s personal values align very well with The BD Way and its purpose.

A native of Malaysia, Chee attended Michigan State University (MSU) where he received his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering. But BD was not initially at the top of the list for places to launch his career. Given his education, he felt early on that the automotive industry, or academia, might be a better pathway. Now, 16 years later, Chee said he is right where he should be.

“Purpose is at the center of our BD way. It gives our work meaning. It has enabled us to establish ourselves as the backbone of healthcare on which many health systems depend,” says Chee. “I remember working in the lab at MSU and picking up a syringe that had the BD logo on it. I was curious so I researched more about the company and its values and thought, this is the place for me.”

What does a VP of Injection Systems do?

With its massive scale and footprint in the med-tech field, BD has an array of career roles available, including oversight and management of the products that helped forge a more than 125-year history for the company: syringes and needles. As the Vice President / General Manager of Injection Systems, Chee leads this area – from product compliance and quality to supply continuity and business management of a large product portfolio.

“Syringes and needles are part of our legacy and foundation, and we have to protect that for the benefit of the patients we serve. During the pandemic, you may have seen shortages of personal protection equipment (PPE), but there was no shortage of needles and syringes and we made sure of that,” Chee noted.

From Mechanical Engineer to Running a Business

The past 16 years have been incredible in terms of growth and experiences for Chee. He began at BD in R&D and then moved into Program Management. From there, he held a role in Marketing and then went into Client Management, which then led to his current leadership role.

“I’ve worked for three different business units, worked in Europe for three years and the number of experiences that I’ve been afforded has been immeasurable,” he said.

When asked what advice he’d give someone else considering BD he emphasized: “Ground yourself in your personal values and see how closely they align to BD. Have faith that when choosing this organization, you will be supplied with myriad opportunities to explore your skills, capabilities, and talents overall,” concluded Chee.